Traveller
by Azrael-Autumn
Summary: In which Tsuna is a traveler and has seen many shades of life. So when the Mafia comes to claim him as the next successor at the age of 19 in the form of a handsome man with curly sideburns, he only smiles. (AU) Jaded!Tsuna, Wise!Tsuna.
1. Chapter 1

Summary: _In which Tsuna is a traveler and has seen many shades of life. So when the Mafia comes to claim him as the next successor at the age of 19 in the form of a handsome man with curly sideburns, he only smiles. (AU) Jaded!Tsuna, Wise!Tsuna._

Once upon a time, a little boy was abandoned by his parents. He went traveling around the world by foot, searching for his parents. He lived off of the land, never feeling the comfort of a home. This boy was so lonely, all he ever wanted was love. He longed for the warmth of family and friends. He searched far and wide, but none of the children wanted to play with him because he was dirty, and none of the adults wanted to adopt him because they didn't want another child. He did everything he could to scrap by a living and continued in solitude to his adolescence. By this time, he had been alone for so long he didn't know how to be around others. He had no social skills, and a romantic interest was out of the question.

And one day, he gave up.

Everything clicked in his mind.

There was no need to search for them anymore.

There's no need to find someone who will accept him.

All he needs…is himself.

Yes. That is all he needs.

Since there's no one who is willing to protect him, love him, he'll do so for himself.

There's no need to rely on anyone else.

A flame flickers and his brown eyes melts into golden rays, circling an eclipse, turning into a sunset of its own when sunlight bounces off it.

He blinks, staring far off at the waterfall.

Now that he has gotten his priorities right, where was he again?

_Ah,_ he thinks, _I'm at Jiuzhaigou._

Flopping onto the ground, the brunet let his body falls, his entire view tilts and faces the blue sky.

On that day, Sawada Tsunayoshi decides to start his life all over again.

This time, he'll truly start living.

For himself.


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: To all the guests who had reviewed, thank you!

&amp; in this AU, the arcobaleno are cursed, but still keeps their adult bodies. Only that they'll not age.

This chapter was typed out under sugar rush, so forgive me if it makes no sense.

Also, this story is somewhat a drabble and jumps out at me at random moments. E.g. Waiting for exam to be over in the exam hall. So updates are irregular.

* * *

An orange coloured paper umbrella twirled lazily, hiding the boy that was under it, only the long ponytail swaying around from the wind could be seen from behind.

Bored.

He was bored.

The fifteen year old boy blinks his eyes and continues to twirl the umbrella, his steps silent in the streets that was almost empty while eyeing the area with disinterest before he sways and bumps into a man walking towards the direction he came from.

"Hey!"

"Ah-Ah! I'm so sorry!" The brunet bows quickly, a sheepish look on his face as the man glares at him, muttering under his breath before walking off.

Honey coloured orbs stares, half lidded for a moment before turning away, his left hand tucked in his pocket.

'Funds obtained.'

Giving a wry smile to himself, he continues on his journey in the dark gray sky, unaware of the dark eyes that were observing him.

* * *

The burst of flavors dances around his tongue and he almost purred at the sweet tastes of the juicy meat bun.

Cheap and filling, not to mention incredibly tasty to him too.

"Hello there, little one."

Tsuna's head snapped towards his right, silently observing the man in red garb standing several feet away.

He inclined his head in a questioning manner while the man sat down calmly beside him, turning to the waiter that appeared beside him in an instant.

"I would like a pot of Pu Er, please."

"Sure, right away, sir!"

"Now," Dark eyes turned to him calculating and shrewd and a hint of wistful treaded before disappearing. "What's your name, youngling?"

The brunet narrowed his eyes slightly, his hand tightened on his umbrella while leaning back. Who is this man and why is his so interested in him suddenly? From the looks of it, this man wouldn't be leaving him alone anytime and Tsuna isn't strong enough to make him go away without getting hurt.

He bit back a sigh and closed his eyes, savoring the last taste of the meat in his mouth, his hand reaching out for his tea while his mind works furiously to come up with a name.

What should he call himself?

The brunet continues to gaze lazily through half lidded orbs while aware that the man in red garb was still there beside him, his hands tucked in his long sleeves with a gentle smile never leaving his lips.

"Little one?"

Brown eyes blaze golden for a moment before vanishing when he saw the sun continues to rise, setting the sky on fire.

"晨曦… My name is 晨曦"

The man tilts his head before turning back to his tea that was delivered several minutes ago and poured himself a cup. His eyes stare at the scenery before him, the flash of golden burning brightly in those brown eyes runs through his mind.

"Dawn, huh.," The man smiles and place down his cup. "Fon. My name is Fon."

"It's nice to meet you, young Dawn."

* * *

He huffed in irritation, mentally groaning at his luck for bumping into such a weird man.

"Why are you following me?"

Brown eyes seem to cry mentally when the man simply smiles.

"I would like to recruit you as my disciple."

The orange umbrella stopped its twirling and the boy turns around, an eyebrow arched. Seriously, what is with this person?

"Why?"

"Because I see the potential in you. You have the wits, the agility."

The brunet chuckles in mirth before twirling his umbrella, amusement dancing in his eyes. "And where do you see that in me?"

"I've observed you for several days; your pickpocketing skills impressed me. You were even able to swipe the money off people just by conversing."

Tsuna shrugged his shoulder. "It's easy once with enough practice. There are many with the same skills."

Fon continues to smile, his eyes crinkling into half-moon. Bringing his sleeves up, his face was half hidden with his eyes taking on a calculative glint.

"I'm sure, but I would still like to stand by my decisions."

The young sky tilts his head backwards, his gaze drifting to the calm blue sky while continuing to twirl his umbrella with his hands.

"Whatever. Just don't expect me to comply."

* * *

Fon observed the boy fingering his umbrella, swinging his legs while it dangles at the edge of the hill, the sound of water providing a soothing atmosphere.

Over the several days, Fon has found the boy sticking true to his words. Besides doing his own training (which raises Fon's own eyebrows into the hairlines), the boy only did those that he has deemed useful after careful consideration.

Fon shook his head in amusement and smile.

What an amusing child. But what would have caused such distrust in a boy?

Even though Tsuna had hid it well, the man had seen the small lingering emotions of such at the edge of those eyes.

Distrust, sadness and…pain.

At the starting, Fon had been merely looking to recruit another apprentice after I-Pin to pass down the arts his master has taught him.

But when his eyes laid on the boy he had seen walking alone alongside the small stream of the river, his hair changing into a shade of golden brown as the first ray of sunlight shines down from the sky, he knew that the boy will be the one that he'll teach.

Those eyes… Those pairs of eyes held all those emotions stringed together painfully and yet there was something… Something that captured his attention.

Yes, the boy has something that will be hard to find in other boys of that age.

Determination, kindness, _so much kindness_, and a glimpse of acceptance in those pair of golden orbs under the light.

Yes, this boy will do fine. He is someone worthy to impart the arts to.

Young Dawn would not abuse the advantage he has over others

The raven hair man shook his head. Looks like he has his work cut out for him if he wants to mold and shape the boy.

No matter, patience is something he has.


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: Dear guests who has taken out the time to do a review, thank you very much. I really appreciate it.

To Claudine: Yes, Tsuna is in China. _Jiǔzhàigōu_ is in Shi Chuan which is in China.

To Nyasararu: Yup, there will be plans for Tsuna to travel to other countries and there will be OCs having cameo while Reborn runs around, trying to find him. And I'm glad that you are enjoying the story.

The reason for the fast update of this fic? Because I'm having a strong wanderlust now and I really want to go on a journey and drop everything. But sadly, I still have student debt to pay.

Edited on 15/2/2015 on some spelling mistakes &amp; included link of the music.

* * *

The fingers pressed down on the string, dancing on it as a hand pulls the bow across it, the sound of a tragic voice pouring out of the Er Hu (Chinese Fiddle).

Fon closes his eyes, enjoying the melody, the wind rippling through his hair as he sat quietly under the willow tree whose dangling branches dance along too.

闲居吟

Chant of a leisure life.

It's been a long time since Fon has sat down and listens to music live. Who knew young Dawn has this ability to play the Er Hu? It isn't one of the easiest instruments to master either.

The fingers pulls in the string gently, the bow running across it in different angles as the music fasten its pace before slowing all together , the sliding of the fingers pulled the melody slower as it moves down.

His eyes open when the music stops, a small smile making its way to his lips when he realized how much more relax the brunet has become and the entire atmosphere around him seems to slow down.

The way the brown ponytail flutters with the wind, the soft brown eyes with lingering sadness staring far at the abyss covered with clouds floating lazily around, the depth of the mountains hidden by a thick layer of mists.

Young Dawn seems to be at peace.

Dark eyes soften. He's glad that the brunet has managed to unwind himself, considering how high strung he was when they first arrived in front of his home.

"Dawn, it's time for breakfast."

The brunet blinked his eyes before giving the instrument a longing glance and bent down to pick his orange umbrella up. Fon chuckles when Dawn hesitantly hands the Er Hu back to him.

"No, no. It's alright if you keep it."

The boy arched an eyebrow while Fon smile dimmed slightly.

There it was again, that glimmer of distrust and pain that was swiftly hidden and tucked away in a heartbeat.

Fon would have thought it was his imagination if he had not seen it surfacing several times ever since he had met the brunet.

He heaved a soft sigh, not saying anything because he knows that Dawn has yet to put his trust with him, the boy adorning a confuse look at Fon's action.

The man chuckles before shaking his head slightly and ushered the brunet back in the house. Gripping the instrument brightly, the boy seems to dance away with the Er Hu in one hand, his umbrella in another, steps silent as he moves towards the wooden door.

* * *

The two sat quietly on the table, their chopsticks lightly tapping the plates as it picks up the food. Thoughts race across Fon's mind.

Now that the brunet seems to be calmer, it could be an opportunity to know more about Dawn's background that Fon never had a chance to ask. This could be his only chance now that the little one seems to have let down his guard.

Cautiously, Fon broke the silence.

"So, young Dawn, how long have you been travelling?"

Brown eyes blinked before its gaze travelled up to the ceiling as the boy starts counting.

"Hm… Around six years."

Fon could feel his eyebrows rising.

"You're fifteen, am I right?"

Dawn gently puts his chopsticks down on his bowl before leaning back against the wooden carved chair. A small smile tips his lips upwards and the sadness Fon has seen so many times when the night comes and stars strung high in the sky surfaced and swallowed the neutral look in the brown eyes.

"I believe that you're trying to find out my past, Fon."

The raven hair man gives a gentle smile, his eyes curving into half-moon before placing down his chopsticks on his bowl too. He slowly folds his hands together before leaning back against the chair.

"Yes, young Dawn. I have no intention to upset you if you do not wish to tell me."

The brunet smiles, his eyes half-lidded as if trying to hide his emotions behind a curtain, glazing over as memories passed under those lids.

"I was abandoned when I was nine in China. It took me six years from the place I was abandoned to get to Gui Ling on foot. In the starting, I wanted to find them, my parents. Though it took me some time, but I finally accepted the fact that they did not want me. And so I stopped."

Dawn's gaze flickered over to meet dark orbs. "Is there anything else that you would like to know of?"

The man brows furrowed slightly as he processed the words he had heard from Dawn. Why would anyone do that? Abandoning a child at such a young age, how can they call themselves a parent?

"Don't worry," Fon blinks as his thoughts were cut short when Dawn spoke. "I never blamed them and I won't try to do anything like revenge."

The brunet picks up his chopsticks and resumed eating, taking a spoonful of soup in the process from the bowl beside him.

"What do you mean, Dawn?" Fon continues observing his disciple (something which the brunet has grudgingly accepted the day when they reached his house), his curiosity spiked from the brunet's words.

"I never blamed them for abandoning me. That is all."

"Why not?"

The brunet huffed in annoyance, chewing his food before answering. "Because there is no need to. Besides hate is a heavy burden. Why would I want to embrace that? Wouldn't it be better to love the world instead?"

The Arcobaleno tilts his head, the smile on his lips widened further when he heard the last sentence coming out of the brunet's lips. He is really glad that he has found the boy on that day and managed get the young boy to accept his teachings. Because it is not easy to find a person with such acceptance of the world's ugly side.

He tips his head forward slightly and picked up his chopsticks, joining the brunet in eating.

Silence continues to envelop the two.

* * *

"Master!"

Fon blinks and smiles widely, his hand outreached towards his first student.

"Welcome back, I-Pin, Lichi-" The man turns his head, trying to find his pet that was sent to escort I-Pin on her mission. But he was met with no sight of the monkey.

"I-Pin, do you know where Lichi is?"

The young girl shook her head, her braid swinging like a black chain behind her. "No, Master."

Fon furrows his brows before motioning the girl to return into the living room. Such things have never happened before. Usually the monkey would greet him together with his disciple when returning from a mission.

"Master, who is that?"

Fon snaps out of his thoughts and smiles, his hands pointing towards the brunet to introduce him. When his gaze fell on his second disciple, he laughs, loud and yet gentle like the wind.

Dawn heaved a sigh, his hand twisting a thick strand of his bangs that was covered with porridge while the rest of the rice slides down his cheeks.

Lichi stood on the table, its hands covering its mouth as if laughing at the brunet.

"I'm guessing that the monkey belongs to you, Fon."

The man hid the widening of his smile behind his sleeve while I-Pin continues to stand there, staring at the brunet with curiosity shining in her eyes.

"It would be nice if you were to call me Master, young Dawn." Here, dark eyes belonging to the young girl widen and she jumps up and down in excitement, bouncing over to the older boy.

"Nice to meet you, junior fellow! My name is I-Pin!" She bows slightly and the boy returns a hesitant one on his part.

"My name is Dawn." He squirms slightly when he saw a glimmer of pride and happiness flash through dark eyes of both Fon and I-Pin.

Fear and a ball of small warmth welled up within the young boy and he swallowed the sigh that was on the tip of his tongue. Looks like he had bite off more than he could chew. Apparently the feelings of his younger years still continues to dwell within him and is something he has yet to get over with.

His gaze lowered and his hand dropped into his lap. Slouching back into his seat, Dawn continues his brooding, unaware of the two who had witnessed his sudden descend into his gloomy thoughts.

I-Pin tilts her head while Fon moves forward and gives a gentle pat on his head.

Dawn stiffens and shrinks away, placing a smile on his face in an attempt to cover up the rampent thoughts in his head. He stood up, gently pushing the chair into the table.

"I'll go and clean myself up." The brunet moves towards the exit of the living room, pushing the beads hanging down the wall aside.

He pouts when he felt a weight settled on his head.

"Before that, could you get the monkey-ouch!" Dawn winced when the monkey chatters before covering its mouth in an attempt to cover up its laughter. Only that the brunet was more than aware that the monkey was laughing at him because of the amusement radiating off its brown orbs.

Fon chuckles and I-Pin grins.

"Lichi," I-Pin smiles and puts her hands behind her, "You have to call it by its name."

The boy sighs.

* * *

Just in case if you guys want to listen to the music that was mentioned, here's the link to it.

( watch?v=trHueJf5OmA )


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: I dislike festive season. I dislike CNY.

Thanks for all the reviews!

Edited on 20/2/2015 for spelling mistakes

* * *

"Young Dawn?"

Brown eyes continue to stare at the stage where a person stood.

Face painted white, red spreads across the eyelids that flutters close stood out vividly. The person shook its head slightly as if in grief, its headdress moving along with it while the hand swings a sword gripped tightly.

Metal plates worn on the body seem to turn blue every time sunlight hit, glinting coldly at the world, as if trying to freeze the hearts of the people under the stage. A sorrowful tune was sung out of the painted red lips as the person wields the silver sword with hesitation and determination.

Every step taken seems to be like a dance with illusionary lotus flowers sprouting after every place the feet once stood. The sword was swung high before coming down in a graceful strike, right at the chest of another person who gave a loud cry that broke the illusion of peace. Only then did anyone realize that the sword was tainted with red, blinding red, as the sword glints coldly once again.

Blinding eyes as it reflects the sun light filtered through the leaves, the sword hid the colors in those pair of sorrowful eyes that watches the man slumped against the chair, red blossoming across the cloth, the same color as the eyes that stares blankly at the body.

There was a moment of silence before a person in the crowd started hooting and applause thundered through the entire area that was watching.

"Dawn?"

The boy smiles softly before turning towards his master.

"It's nothing. Just saw someone familiar."

Fon blinks before giving a nod.

"Do you want to meet them? We still have time before we need to go back and prepare for the reunion dinner."

"No," Dawn twirls his umbrella and starts walking towards the shop, "There's no need to. We'll meet when it's time to meet."

"Never took you for someone who believes in fate, young Dawn."

The brunet stares up at the blue sky, a wistful look entering the warm brown orbs.

"Well, you can say it is an excuse, I guess."

* * *

A man with black hair and maroon eyes glinting mischievously sneaks up from behind, ready to spring on the young brunet.

He smooths his black suit and adjusted his violet tie. Grinning, he lunged before feeling a tinge of regret as an orange umbrella slammed into his torso, pushing him back several feet.

"O-Ouch…" The man slowly stood up and twitched, holding his torso gingerly.

Dawn sighed before turning to face the man, placing the red fabric back onto the shelf.

"It seems like we meet again, 雨臣*."

"You sure are as un-cute as ever, my little junior." Yu Chen gave a wry smile before blinking, his hand reaching into his pocket to pull out a blackberry. Eyes narrowing slightly, his fingers tap on the button before sending a reply, his smile returning immediately.

Before the man could open his mouth, Dawn frowns.

"Trouble?"

Yu Chen chuckles before waving his hand, indicating negative. Still smiling, his gaze sharpens when it landed not far behind Dawn.

"You know him, disciple?"

Fon moves beside Dawn immediately, the two raven hair man engaging in a staring contest as the boy sighs. Dawn arched an eyebrow. Why does it seem that he has been sighing so many more times ever since he started interacting?

Maybe he should go back to isolation.

He nodded his head.

Maybe he should. Things weren't so troublesome then.

"I should ask the same. You know him, nameless?"

The Arcobaleno turns to the boy in shock. "Nameless?"

Dawn shrugged before turning to his fabric, his back facing the two. "I didn't tell him my name then." He pulls the cloth gently; eyes squinted slightly as it searches for the price.

"Anyway, Yu Chen, this is Fon. Fon, Yu Chen."

Dawn smiles in victory when his gaze settled on the price tag. Gathering the cloth into his arms, he moves towards the counter, leaving the two behind.

Yu Chen smirked before extending a hand towards the Arcobaleno.

"It's a pleasure to meet one of the famed Arcobaleno. Thank you for taking care of my fellow junior" Fon stares at the hand before bringing his hands together, tucking in his sleeves.

He inclined his head. "It is a pleasure to meet my disciple friend."

The smile on their face twitched.

* * *

I-Pin wanders around the brunet's legs, hoping that she'll be able to give a hand in the preparation of the feast. Seeing that, Dawn bends down and passes her the plates drying at the side.

"Do you think you can help me to set up the table, I-Pin?"

The girl beams brightly, nodding her head eagerly before she careful balance the plates in her hands, slowly walking towards the living-dining area.

Lichi on the other hand was watching the food simmering in the pot. Hoping to catch the brunet off guard, its hands shoot out to grab the marinated honey drumstick, only to have its plans thwarted when Dawn turns to snatch the plate out of the way.

"No, Lichi. You have to wait till everyone is at the table."

And if anyone were to observe closely, the monkey pouts before waving its fists at the boy, shooting out of the window to find its master, probably to complain to Fon in the event.

Dawn arched an eyebrow and leaned against the counter, his eyes twitching at an imminent headache that was heading his way.  
He wiggles his nose in frustration before turning off the gas, wrapping a cloth around the handle to bring it out to the dining table.

Gently placing the pot down on the table, he slowly removes the cloth, placing it at the side.

"You'll make the perfect housewife, my little junior."

Dawn sighs, pinching the bridge of his nose.

"You're being irritating."

The man merely grins and leans back against the chair, avoiding the cloth that flew his way from the brunet's hand. His gaze sharpens when it met the dark eyes that belong to the raven hair man sitting opposite him.

Fon widens his smile and inclined his head.

"He is irritating, isn't he? Young Dawn?"

"You both are."

* * *

雨臣*- Yu Chen (Chinese name) -FYI

*First OC making it cameo :) Did you guys manage to catch who the OC is? It's taken from a book:)

*Edited to include this: Will update soon...Currently not at home, so I couldn't lenghten the story...


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: As usual, thank you for all the reviews:) and the favs &amp; the follows:)

To Kari: The reason why I dislike CNY has many reasons.

Let me list it down:

1) Relatives loves to poke their nose into places where they have no reason to do so. For e.g., asking personal questions.

2)Most stores are closed.

3)Time for myself is disrupted and I'm being dragged to relative houses against my own wishes. And no. Hong Bao does not make up for that.

And yes, I'm a chinese.

Also, just for my own curiousity, I thought CNY is a festive season rather than a religion (?) Because the religion I was told included, Christianity (Sorry if I spelled it wrongly!) , Buddhism, Islam, Hinduism, Sikhism, etc.

I have _**absolute no intention **_of disrespecting any religion. After all, the place I live and grew up in have people with many religions and races living in the same block, same country.

Hope that answer your review:)

* * *

_A warm hand drops on the top of his head, flattening the brown locks that seem to fluff up every single moment._

_The boy smiles, looking at the woman adoringly, missing the fear lingering in her brown eyes._

_Her mouth moves but no sound seems to come out. Despite that, the boy nods and swings his legs, ignoring the wrinkling of his newly ironed shirt whenever he leans forward to snuggle up to the woman._

_He did not see the way she flinched whenever he moves near and the boy continues to hum a small tune under his breath. He stares at the brown eyes reflecting him and nodded when she seems to instruct something. The boy's gaze never once left the back of the woman that fades into the crowd, until her brown hair becomes a small dot, then nothing._

_The boy squash down the urge to run after the woman with brown hair and eyes. He blinks and decides to entertain himself by looking at the crowd shuffling in front of him, none sparing him a glance as they seems to move in a hurry._

_An hour._

_Two hours._

_Till the sun set and the world turns away from the sun._

_Until the darkest of night sees the dawn again._

_Even as his stomach growls and protest, his blood growing crazy with fear and the voice in his head screaming at him with all the hurtful truth that he was abandoned._

_A boy sat at the bench quietly watching the world goes by._

_Waiting for the woman with brown hair and brown eyes._

_He could never really trust anyone after that._

* * *

Dawn furrows his brows, coughing slightly as he licks his parched lips. He blinks as the sunlight bounces off his window and into his eyes, turning his face away.

The boy squints slightly at a pair of maroon eyes and later, a familiar face, flooding his vision.

"Good morning, sleeping beauty."

The boy likes to think that whatever he did at the next moment is what most people would have done. In fact, even if that is not what most people would have done, he wouldn't have cared.

Dawn believes that what he has done is valid, because he could have done more damage than that. Serve that foolish man right. A punch to the face is nothing.

* * *

"So, how's 月红*?"

"Not Master?"

Sweat rolled off his forehead, slowly trickling down the side of his face. He blinks as a drop trickled over his eyelid and into his eye, a sharp sensation seared in his eye.

"So?"

"He's no longer around"

The brunet knitted his brows, his arms inches away from the wooden dummy. Slowly, he visibly unfroze and continues with his movement, drawing his hands back to his side, eyes half-lidded.

"I see. My condolences."

Yu Chen shot him a smile and tips his head forward in acknowledgement while the brunet stood there quietly, his eyes never leaving the man before him that seems to try too hard to hide his own grief. Slowly, the brunet unfurls his fists and plop himself down beside Yu Chen who grimace at the sweat soaking through the brunet's orange shirt.

"How's business?"

"Even with the current situation, I guess you can say it's manageable."

"I heard old lady Huo has passed on. That's why you're here, right? Going around, performing on that stage of yours. When in fact you're telling everyone in the business that Young Master Xie is here." Brown eyes trailed up lazily to meet maroon ones that widen slightly before shaking his head.

Yu Chen gave a small chuckle.

"We can never hide anything from you, can we? Don't worry. I'm helping Xiu Xiu from behind the scenes. We'll manage."

"Really? Even though there are so many wolves out there, waiting to devour your territory?"

Yu Chen smirks, his body tilts forward, moving closer to the brunet. "Why, you want to come back and help us?"

A blank stare.

"No worries. I have no intention of going back to the tomb raiding business."

Yu Chen shrugs. "Guess not. Well," He stood up and dusts his pants. "It's time for me to leave."

The boy peers up through his lashes, silently observing Yu Chen, who was staring out into the valley with glazed eyes.

The sound of music snaps the raven hair man out of his trance and he pulls out his phone with little difficulty, the smile on his lips slipped before he quickly composes himself, taking a longer time to read the message received to confirm what he has just read.

Dawn narrowed his eyes before a large hand drops down on his head, ruffling his hair soaked with sweat.

Wriggling his nose in slight disgust, Yu Chen pulled a face before it morph into a gentle smile directed at the brunet who was still frowning but with confusion in his features now.

"Well, this is good bye."

* * *

"Yu Chen." The man had frozen, flinching minutely in surprise and Dawn could hear the man cursing under his breath before turning to the brunet with a smile.

"Sorry. In a hurry. Can't stay to talk." The raven hair man moves before he stops abruptly as a hand clamp down on the man's shoulder.

"Yu Chen. What is going on?"

The brunet furrowed his brows as maroon eyes dart around, never making contact with honey coloured ones before it closes and Yu Chen sighs.

"Look, it has nothing to do with you. There's no need for you to get involved with our line of business. You said it yourself; you have no wish to participate any further."

Ignoring the raven hair man, Dawn stubbornly tightens his grasp on the shoulder. "Yu Chen. What is going on?"

The man frowned, his brow creasing slightly, but didn't respond otherwise. He ran a hand through his hair, tugging at the ends in frustration.  
Dawn blinks. It isn't like the man to show his feelings so openly. Something must be troubling him so much that his composure slipped.

"Yu Chen?"  
Brown eyes narrowed in concern when he saw the man's jaw clench, glancing at Yu Chen to gauge his expression as his hands loosen its grasp on the man's shoulder.

"Wha-"

Within a heartbeat, a large, slightly tan hand flashed forward to grab the brunet's collar, pulling him forward. The boy stumbles and lurches forward while his umbrella clatters on the floor as his grip loosen.

Cold maroon eyes trails up, locking gazes with golden brown orbs.

"Don't poke your nose in where it's not needed, nameless."

* * *

*月红- Yue Hong; FYI: Chinese name

Will move on to update other fics...such fickle muse.


	6. Chapter 6

A/N: Just wanted to warn you guys that I've written this chapter in a haste because I'm going to start my part time work soon...heard that will be loads of OverTime :( Not sure if I should feel happy to be able to clear my schooling debt this year or sad that I have to work... Won't be able to update anytime soon...

* * *

_Life is nothing more than an illusion. It's like a poor actor who struts and worries for his hour on the stage and then is never heard from again. Life is a story told by an idiot, full of noise and emotional disturbance but devoid of meaning._

_~Macbeth_

* * *

_Fear hammered against his ribs painfully and he could feel his heart lodge halfway in his throat. The urge to hurl was getting stronger, but he willed himself to run, run faster and escape from the angry fat man chasing him._

_He didn't want to do it. No, he truly didn't, but if he continues to stay that way, he'll starve and die within a week._

_The boy skidded to a stop and run into a dark alley sharply, climbing into a large bucket that towers over him without hesitation, keeping the four piping hot buns and his turning his face up while his entire body submerged in the questionable liquid._

_Heart still pumping wildly, he didn't take any notice of the thing he was submerged in until he was sure that the man has left and all that is left is the sound of his harsh breathing patterns._

_Finally, the boy managed to calm himself and crawl out of the bucket weakly. He felt his entire body dropped on the floor like a puppet, unable to move until he managed to pull himself together and stop the trembling wracking his small frame._

_Grimacing, he pulled a face when he noticed one of the buns had the brown liquid smeared on the edge and he gingerly pulled off the part, careful not to ruin the rest of the bun._

_He slowly munched on the bun after blowing off the dirt that had gotten onto it when it fell on the floor, but it was better than wrapping it in his dirtied shirt._

_The brunet gagged at the smell of his body before deciding to devour another bun hungrily, keeping one of the buns for dinner._

_Thank goodness he had the sense to keep the buns above him by raising his hands. If not it might not be edible for him since he had decided to jump into a bucket of dung._

_Well, he shook his head slightly and shot a bitter smile at the sky, even so, he would have washed the buns at the river._

_He had no choice if he wants to survive._

* * *

Dawn sighed and plopped himself into a seat beside the raven hair man that was sipping his tea quietly before placing it down on the table between them.

"I thought it would be prudent for me to leave the two of you alone, so that the two of you can have a talk in peace without risking the chance for me to hear."

The brunet gives a bland smile and picked up the porcelain cup, pouring himself a cup of tea while thinking how to explain the situation at hand to the patient man sitting beside him.

He licked his lips slightly, lowering his gaze to the floor while putting the cup back on the wooden mahogany table. The boy sighed. There's no helping it. He would have to explain everything to the man since he had witnessed the ruckus him and Yu Chen.

"You… Fon, you are one of the Arcobaleno,"He pursed his lips, but said nothing when he saw the man stiffened slightly in shock, his dark eyes widened with surprise. "I'm sure you have lived long enough to have heard of the 9 old families that was had wide influence during the late Qing dynasty."

Fon nodded quietly, his gaze locked onto those golden eyes that was observed from a side glance before it was broken and amber orbs slid away and fixed its gaze on the floor, taking on a faraway look.

"The 9 old families are split into upper three, middle three and lower three families. Yu Chen was born into the Xie family, the ninth family in the nine clans. During that period, everyone thought that the Xie family would remain strong, but, like a curse, after his great-grandfather died, his father died too."

Dawn rolled his shoulder slightly to ease the tension within and reached for his tea, observing the reaction of Fon while sipping his tea. Pouring himself another cup, he props his arm on the wooden arm chair and leaned his cheeks on his fist.

"Subsequently, all the man in the family died and suddenly, he was the only male left in the family. Eventually, an 8 years old Yu Chen had to clean up the mess left behind." Dawn shot a wry smile at Fon who seems to be taking in the information calmly.

"When people heard that the Xie family has fallen, many came to create trouble for him. Lucky for Yu Chen, his grandfather was a cautious man and had planned for him to learn opera under the current master of the 2nd family, Master Er. I guess this would count as an elder taking in a child under his wings. To be able to survive all these years with their family business intact, it can be contributed to the protection he has received from Master Er and the plans his grandfather has taken."

Fon leaned back into his chair, turning to the boy sitting beside him. "I'm afraid that I don't understand what you are trying to tell me, young Dawn."

Dawn gave a sad smile to the man. "I'm sure you have heard what Yu Chen was yelling at the top of his voice earlier."

The raven hair man nodded, though eyes were filled with confusion. " To never bother him again and keep out of his way?"

The brunet chuckled. "Yes, and I could see that you wanted to rush out from behind the wall that was behind the two of us."

"Well…" Fon hid a smile behind his sleeve, motioning the boy to continue with his explanation.

"Did you know, in the event that I were to get stuck in a dangerous situation when accompanying him on a raid, he would not turn to help or to get help, but to continue with the things he has set out to do?" The brunet coughed lightly into his palm, not missing the frown and shock radiating off the man. "It was a rule set by his grandfather. From what I've heard, Yu Chen's grandfather is a smart man and was able to predict the moves that will be played out after he died."

Dawn gave a bitter smile.

"I'm sure after going through what he has experienced since young and to be proven the fact that he was able to survive because of his grandfather's calculation, he wouldn't dare to think that the man might be wrong. Did you know the number of times Yu Chen has left friends, comrades, acquaintances behind?"

Silence surrounds the two and the heavy atmosphere seems to weigh down on them. Fon was glad that he had sent I-Pin and Lichi out on an easy mission so that he could talk to Dawn.

"I overheard his conversation with Master Er several years ago. Did you know, his thoughts have always wandered to the point where he would wonder if he had not followed the rule set down by his grandfather, to turn back and save those people, would they still be alive?"

His eyes flashed with an unknown emotion, so quick that Fon almost missed it before he returned to the placid expression worn on his face for almost the entire conversation.

"I think it is because of that thought that that foolish boy pushes everyone away. Because he knows that he wouldn't turn back to save them even when given a chance to do so. Because he could never go against the rules his grandfather had set while watching the people he cherished to die one by one in front of him. So as to be able to abandon anyone without a doubt, to not feel the sadness and guilt that he would have to carry for the rest of his life, he chooses not to create any relationship."

Dawn shook his head and chuckled silently. "I guess that sounds kind of… Unconventional or even hypocritical huh?"

Dark eyes never once left the cup of tea held in his hand, his reflection staring back at the raven hair man.

"Who knows, young Dawn. Who knows…?"

The brunet tilts his head back, his eyes fixate on the mahogany ceiling while Fon turns to his young disciple.

"You never told me what the fight was about, Dawn."

"I'm sure Yu Chen has run into trouble in the business, but he wouldn't tell me about it." He gives an exasperate smile. "He's used to solving problems alone and rarely expects to receive any help, and so I guess mine wouldn't be an exception too…"

"He's afraid to lose you."

Another wry smile.

"Maybe. Who knows?"

* * *

A/N: Just in case any parts were to sound weird or make no sense, please inform me. Much appreciated!


	7. Chapter 7

It hurts to let go. But sometimes it hurts more to hold on

-Unknown

* * *

"What do you plan on doing next?" Dawn turns his gaze away from Fon, not before the man managed to catch the gold glittering in his eyes.

"I-"For once, Fon thought that the boy look like his age, not someone older, darker, more jaded as the boy has always looked like. Dawn seems to be unable to get any words out, sagging against the chair in resignation before heaving a sigh.

"I… There's nothing I can do. If he doesn't want my help, he'll block all the connections I have with his influence." The brunet felt his insides go cold. He knows how stubborn that man is and if he really plans to keep him out, there is no way he can do anything. A surge of helplessness pulls him down, the feeling of his eyes watering was the only thing keeping him grounded in the moment because it took his entire being not to let any fall.

He hated it. This feeling. It reminds him of his past all over again.

Maybe somewhere, somehow, his expression might have given some hints of his thoughts; Fon placed a hand on his shoulder while ignoring the slight tensing of muscle.

"If you want… I might be able to get the information you need."

"And perhaps get you further into others debt?" Dawn shook his head, "No. "

Fon lowered his gaze, his hand pulling away from the brunet. "There are some that still owe me a favour, young Dawn."

Dawn shook his head again, something akin to resign was screaming in his body language. "No," His body sagged against the chair even further. "No. I… I'll wait. For him. Until everything is over, I will wait."

And the boy is back to how he looks before, hair tousled by the gentle wind roaming in the house but still neat, rich chocolate eyes brighter and older than any right to be.

Fon picks his teacup up, sipping the lukewarm drink slowly. "If that is what you wish, then so be it."

* * *

"_Hello there, little one. Are you alone?"_

_Dark eyes peered at the shivering figure underneath the soaked cardboard that seems to shrink into itself when he moved closer. Slowly, he kneeled down._

"_Don't be afraid, I'm not here to harm you," Softly, he tried to coax the person out, giving a slight start when a pair of gold eyes peered out._

"_Who-" A raspy, soft voice echoed in the silence of the night, "Why are you talking to me?"_

_The man paused, flicking his braid tail back when it slid over his shoulder. "I don't know," He took on a considering air. "Maybe it might be heaven's will. That I should meet you and take you in."_

_That declaration seems to shock the boy and shook him to the very core. His eyes shone gold and glittered when he opens his mouth before it snap shut with a loud click._

_Eyes were narrowed with suspicion as it flickered gold. "Are you going to kidnap and sell me off?"_

_The man looks as if he had swallowed something unpleasant. "No," The man sighed, peeling the cardboard off carefully and quickly using the umbrella in his hands to shelter the person from the rain._

_He ignored the taunt posture that was ready to fight or flight anytime if the man were to grab him. Now that his eyes were much more adjusted to the dark, he could make out the scrawny figure to be a child, around the age of ten._

"_Well then, let's get you warm before I listen to your story."_

* * *

"_Why did you save me?"_

_The man smiled at the boy freshly clothe in his only student's clothes. It's been several days since he picked the boy up from the dark alleyway that was far out of reach from the bustling city he had just travelled through. Why he had the thought of walking there in the night was still mind boggling to him._

_Well, at least something good came out of it. He was able to rescue this boy._

_(Though he had called him a 'her' when he first laid his eyes on him. The boy had not taken it lightly.)_

"_Well, I told you before. Maybe it's the heaven's will."_

_Brown eyes narrowed slightly. _

_Good. The man thought. At least the distrust has lessened. But the boy would never trust others as easily which would also equal to survival in their trade if the nameless boy decides to stay with him._

"_What's your name, boy?"_

_A flicker of emotion then a blank look._

"_What's your name then?"_

_The man chuckles softly in amusement._

"月红.二月红。"

* * *

"_Would you like to join us?"_

_A slight hesitation before all emotions was cleared away on the boy's face. Yue Hong frowned. Though the distrust might be useful, the inability to face his own emotion is unhealthy._

_He would have to try and help the boy._

"_It's alright if-"_

"_Yes."_

* * *

_Maroon eyes crinkled cheekily._

"_Hello there, newbie. Good job on finding this kid, Master. Looks like we finally got a person for the role of a female servant."_

_The teenager smirk at the bristling child._

"_How old are you again? Nine?"_

"_I'M ELEVEN, DAMNIT! I'M A BOY!"_

_Yue Hong pokes his head in from behind the emerald curtains. "Boys. Behave."_

* * *

"_Come on, it isn't that hard to call him Master…"_

"_No," The boy's cheek puffed up childishly, "I'm sticking with Yue Hong."_

_Teary dark eyes falls into his line of view when Yue Hong suddenly appears in the room that previously contains only him and Yu Chen._

"_My life is such a tragedy," The man daps his eyes with his long sleeve, "My second disciple wouldn't call me Master…"_

_He wails and opens his arms to the ceiling "What have I done to receive such punishment?"_

_Silence ensued before the man escapes from the room hastily when the voice of his right hand man floats in to the room, cursing the said man that had escaped from the window for dumping paperwork in his room._

_The two blinked._

"_What just happened?"_

* * *

"_Stay here."_

_A frown fleeted across his face while brown eyes shone with worry._

"_I-"_

"_You'll just get in the way."_

_Brown eyes flicker gold at the steely gaze held by maroon orbs._

"_I won't."_

* * *

_His chest wrapped in bandages moves up and down slowly, as if struggling for the next breath. _

"_How are you holding up?"_

_The brunet leaned against the wooden frame of the bed, his eyes never once left the teenager that slumber peacefully._

"_Still surviving." A bitter smile crosses his face whilst Yue Hong sat on the edge of the bed, his fingers brushing the strands of hair on Yu Chen's face._

"_He don't belong to only himself," Brown eyes softens, "But why does he not understands that?" _

_The man inclined his head. "How so?"_

"_He wanted me to abandon him when he was stuck in the cave. How can he expect me to just leave him behind? He doesn't belong to himself. Everyone has connections to someone else and shares something with them through these."_

_A lost look surfaced in the brunet's eyes._

"_This is why we can never be free."_

* * *

"_You're leaving." There was no heat in the teenager's tone despite the disappointment evident in those maroon eyes._

"_Yes."_

"_You don't belong to yourself, you know?" The brunet whirled around, his eyes slightly widened._

"_What?"_

"_That's what you said before isn't it? Why aren't you practicing what you say? Why are you leaving the troupe? Do you know how sad everyone will be? You're even leaving in the middle of the night where everyone is asleep!"_

_Yu Chen huffed slightly, trying to convey his thoughts to the boy that his master had brought in two years ago. How can the boy go against what he had said himself?_

"_So why aren't you practicing what you've preached? Everyone here…they'll miss your very existence."_

_The boy paused, staring absently at the view that stretches on for miles behind Yu Chen._

"_Yu Chen," A bitter, wistful smile drapes itself on the boy's lips, "even so, people move on."_

_The teenager sneers and left without a word._

_Brown eyes glittered gold at the back of the teenager, his voice barely a whisper as the wind howls._

"_You have to."_

* * *

A/N: What did I just typed? Sorry if it doesn't make sense...and oh yes! Do you guys have any suggestion for on where Dawn should go next? It's time for him to travel the world :D And dump Fon behind (muahahah.)

Any ideas? Pm/ Review!

Thanks!


	8. Chapter 8

_When he was young and the woman with brown hair and brown eyes still adored him, he remembers the time when she sat on his bedside and hums him a melody to coax him to sleep._

_Swamped with orange blankets with warmth wrapping around him in a hug, he did what the woman wanted. _

_He fell asleep._

_He remembers dreaming of a man with curly sideburns arriving at his house when he was older. And to be honest, he was terrified of the man that had been appearing in his dreams since two days ago. He would wake up with a pounding heart from running away from the man in his dreams while his gut twisted. Fearing that something like this would happen, he quickly told the woman with brown hair and brown eyes about it._

_But all she did was to give him an indulgent smile and gently pat his head like the dream would never come true._

_Perhaps it never will._

_So he nodded his head like the good boy the woman had always said he was and went to school._

_The dream never did go away, but as time passed and the dream continues playing out like a story, he realized that the man in the dream might not be so bad after all. _

_The man felt like a father. A dad._

_A boyish grin stretched across his face while his heart felt a fond squeeze._

_Even so, the dream stopped when the woman with brown hair and brown eyes started to look at him with fear._

_And the story changed._

* * *

"You're leaving."

"That I am."

"Why in the middle of the night, young Dawn?"

The boy ran a hand through his hair, strands dancing together with the gentle wind and under the luminous white moon.

For an instance, something akin to melancholy darken the boy's eyes, spiking Fon's emotion with worry and fear before Dawn's eyes cleared again, leaving behind the same usual warm, brown eyes.

"I just felt like it. I guess."

Fon felt his lips curling downwards. "I cannot make you stay, but wouldn't you at least stay till I-Pin comes back?"

He took another step forward when there were no immediate answers, frowning as his eyes widened when he saw the boy staring at the sky stretching above them while they stood at the courtyard with weary eyes.

"Dawn?" He fights down the urge to pull the boy back into the house as a sense of fear pierce his heart, a corner of his mind screaming at the familiarity of the look.

"Thank you, Fon. For everything." He let the smile curve his lips even though it was not returned.

"Good Bye."

* * *

He stares out of the window, his lips thinned in slight displeasure from the lack of rest.

Dawn had planned to leave after a year so but a dream that he never expected to slip into his sleep had dragged him out of bed in the middle of the night, his lips dry from anxiety, months away from completing a year of apprenticeship with Fon.

Dragged him out of Fon's house and cut short the time he was planning to spend wandering around other parts of China all the way here on this train.

Now travelling onwards to Inner Mongolia.

The brunet let a short sigh slipped past his lips while the scenery flashes pass the window, the wind growing restless and roaring when it blew into the train compartment from the open window.

The man with curly sideburns that he has missed when he was younger has appeared in his dreams again. Only this time, the man wasn't teaching the 14 years old brunet. The man was greeting Fon cordially in his house with I-Pin observing from the side.

He fiddled with his ponytail that had strands of brown dancing in the wind. It wasn't that he didn't want to meet the man.

It's just that…the man. The man with curly sideburns had been looking for him in his dreams and it had set off the sirens in his head, blaring and screaming at him to _get away_ because if he didn't, he would be tied down and never able to wander across the earth again.

The boy twitched and then sighed, running a hand over his face.

Now that is something he would like to avoid.

* * *

Beautiful.

Breathtaking.

For once in his life, he couldn't come out with words to describe the scenery laid out in front of him like a painting, except the artist is Mother Earth.

It was gorgeous.

Slowly, he wanders across the grassland, the only sound in the air was the grass crunching under his feet and cricket singing, the dark velvet sky with dots of stars stretching endlessly above his head.

He felt a sense of calm washing over him and a sense of wonder entraps his mind as he continues to walk towards the lake surrounded by a sea of flowers that he was sure that it would be enchanting, filling the place with colours when the first ray of light shines from the horizon.

When the brunet finally reached the lake, he felt the suffocating feeling in his chest lift, and the world felt right.

The lake was like a mirror, reflecting the colours of the sky with ripples running across the surface.

Magnificent.

It was worth the two hours walk it took him to get here from Hailaer to the most well preserved grassland at present in China, also known as 'The Grass Kingdom',Hulunbuir.

At that moment, it felt like there was moon dust in his lungs, stars in his eyes, and he was a child of the cosmos.

A ruler of the skies. Free.

As free as a person can be.

For the first time after the dream, the boy laughed, his voice carried away by the wind rippling through his hair, his eyes twinkling.

Yes. He can do this.

Dravite coloured eyes soften slightly before closing when the plopped himself down on the grass, pulling out a blanket from his bagpack and wrapping around his petite frame.

* * *

_Sumeih zeregleend gegee anirlaad_

_Susuglehiin erhend eej mini bodogdana_

_Huugee irene geed suugee orgood_

_Huslee chiltel alsiig shirtee dee_

_Alsad suuga eej mini_

_Amin hairtai shuteen mini bileezadgai_

_Tengerd uul ni zamharna_

_Zalbirhiin erhend eej mini bodogdana_

_Argaliin tsogond tsaigaa buliyeelj_

_Anis'haa chiltel alsiig shirtee dee_

_Alsad suuga eej mini_

_Amin hairtai shuteen mini bileehuhereh_

_Uuls'aas hoglerj haragdana_

_Huugiin tani setgil gegelzeed baina_

_Hunii zeregleend huu chini yavnaa_

_Husliig tani nimgeleed yavaad ochina daa_

_Alsad suuga eej mini_  
_amin hairtai shuteen mini bilee._

The brunet cracked an eye opened, squinting slightly when a ray of sunlight blinded him momentarily.

Gathering his thoughts, he gently propped himself up on an elbow, his eyes scanning for the source of the voice.

It sounded like a boy, a young one. But he had never heard a voice like this. A voice that sounds as if it can be carried across the vast grassland and can reach into the heavens itself.

He blinks.

Not far from his spot, a young boy with short sooty black hair sat surrounded by small purpureus flowers.

Quietly the brunet stuffed his blanket into his bagpack, slung it over his shoulder and stood up, making his way to the boy with eyes gazing far out to the grassland.

"Hello," he slowly came to a halt and sat down cross legged, the boy turning his soft gaze on the brunet with a pair of dark brown eyes.

"Hello." The boy nodded his head in acknowledgement before turning his entire body to face Dawn.

Dawn gave a sheepish smile, his hands resting in his lap. "I can't help but notice that you have a wonderful voice. Can I ask what song was that?"

The boy squirmed in his spot slightly, his gaze lowered. "It's called Alsad Suugaa Eej…Mother in My Dreams."

Dawn looked thoughtful before his eyes softened. "I see. You have a wonderful voice. It sounded like it could reach heavens itself."

The boy pinned him with a hawk-like stare, eyes searching for any hint of deception before it crinkled into half-moons. "…Thank you."

"My name is Dawn. What's yours?"

"Wū dá mù."

"Would you be so kind to sing again, Wū dá mù?"

The boy hesitated for a moment before complying and opened his mouth to sing, voice tinged with a storm of emotions that Dawn couldn't begin to decipher.

Sorrow.

Perhaps grief and a pang of longing.

Dawn closed his eyes.

* * *

_Don't pluck the beautful flowers_

_It does not wish to leave the embrace of the earth_

_My beloved mother who held my hand_

_Gently speak of its wishes_

_You who are in the far distance, my mother_

_You always held my hands in my dream_

_The sandstorm covers my eyes_

_But I always wished to hear your call_

_Where are you, my mother?_

_I yearned for your kisses_

_You in the far distance, my mother_

_In my dreams, you kissed my cheeks._

_You wished for me to be as brave as the eagles soaring in the clouds_

_You wish for me to be as strong as the flowers swaying in the wind_

_To hold my head high and walk with confidence towards the future_

_I know you'll be there for me for eternity_

_You who are in the distance, my mother_

_You held me tightly in my dreams_

* * *

A/N: Hopefully the translation was correct...

Well, it's Inner Mongolia this time round, still in China but away from Fon.

I have recieved wonderful suggestions on the places he could go to but I kinda...well...saw Inner Mongolia showcased on the TV...so yeah.

Couldn't help myself.

Hahaha.

(w w watch?v=toEOpFR1tMc )

Wu Da Mu is a real person and the link above is the song :)

It sounds amazing.

Perhaps 1-2 chapters later when he moves on, he'll be going to the places suggested :)

So many thanks to the places you guys have told me. It was fun, researching on it :D

Hope you guys have enjoyed yourself for this chapter!


	9. Chapter 9

A/N: Well...two more days till I start work again. I swear I'm going to be a couch potato for at least two months the next time I take a break.

Hope this chapter makes sense. :/

Edited on 26/4 for spelling mistakes.

* * *

"Hello."

Wu Da Mu blinks and turns his attention to the brunet that was moving towards him against the chaotic wind swirling in the air.

The boy blinks, searching for the brunet in his memories before he recognized that the brunet was the person that had complemented on his singing several days ago. He gave a tentative smile before turning back to stare at the carpet of green stretching endlessly, dotting with white yurts, herds of cattle and sheep, rivers and lakes in patches.

Silently, the brunet drops gracefully beside the boy, his eyes drinking in the scenery hungrily, while his hair flew around him in an organized chaos.

Several minutes of silence passed until Wu Da Mu decides to break it.

"Where are you from?"

Dawn tilts his head while searching for an answer, his mouth stretched into a lopsided smile.

"Nowhere. I'm a traveler."

The boy raised an eyebrow. "What I meant was what your citizenship is."

A corner of his mouth quirked up. "Well, I think I am still Japanese… "

Wu Da Mu seems to pause at the answer before deciding on going back to ask Dawn questions.

"Which part of the world have you travelled to? And you look young… Your parents allowed you to travel? I thought that you guys must attend school."

Dawn blinked, torn between amusement on how to explain his situation, softening the blow that the boy may feel and his desire for privacy.

He never thought he would be facing this question early in the morning, just right after the hearty breakfast he had inhaled at the place he was staying, 2-3 hour walking distance from Hulunbuir.

"Well," He fixed a placid smile on his face while fiddling with his ponytail draped over his shoulder, "I… was abandoned. So yeah. That is why I have the freedom to travel around, though I might be declared dead in the country I was born in."

His sideway gaze was met with the picture of the boy turning white and becoming unnaturally still, his expression colouring with sorrow as his gaze drops to his lap.

"I…" Wu Da Mu cringed. "I'm sorry…"

Brown eyes soften and he reached out to give a soft pat on the boy's head. "It's okay. I have put my past behind me. Even though it wasn't easy, but you should too."

The boy pulled his head up, surprise written all over his face until Wu Da Mu managed to visibly collect himself and narrowed his eyes at the brunet with anger swirling in it.

Thinning his lips in displeasure, the boy meets Dawn's gaze head on.

"If you're considered dead, how have you even travelled? You would definitely need a passport."

Dawn sighed, a faint smile dancing on his lips.

"Well, that is something that I would have to thank my late…" His eyes took on a somber look. "Master, Er Yue Hong, for. He was the one that managed to create the papers for me. Though the name he gave me was something I have never used."

The boy looked shamefaced, breaking the eye contact immediately.

Another few minutes passed in silence before a loud roar tunnel into their ears and a loud gust of wind slam into the two of them, bringing them out of their own thoughts.

Dawn blinks before he lets a smile flicker on his face and closing his eyes, clearly enjoying the way the wind howls in the air, the cold touch on his skin and the feeling of his hair rippling in the air. The brunet glanced sidelong at the boy who was frowning while his gaze remains transfixed on the sky.

"Dawn," The boy pursed his lips in thought and studied the brunet before him, seemingly weighing something in his mind before nibbling on his bottom lip. "It's going to rain."

The brunet casts a look at the darkening sky before a smile curved his lips, his eyes twinkling. "I know."

At the brunet's reply, the boy seems to wonder if the person before is half mad. The brunet seems to be happy that he will be soaked to the bones if they linger any longer.

"Well, come on," Wu Da Mu stood up, dusting his pants. "Let's get going before it starts raining."

"It's alright. I would like to-"

Wu Da Mu sighed in exasperation, his hands wrapping around the brunet's upper arm, tugging him with all his strength. "Come on!"

"But I-"

"Come on, you can watch the rain from the inside of my house!"

* * *

"Um…"

"Come, there's no need to be so polite with us, young man!" A man with tanned skin and red cheeks chuckled before gesturing the brunet to take a seat.

Dawn shot a helpless glance at Wu Da Mu, who seems amused by how flustered the brunet is.

"Ah, it's been a long time since my boy brought friends back!" The man exclaimed and grinned, missing the irate glint in the boy's eyes and his defensive position. A frown immediately appeared on Wu Da Mu face before he turned his back on the two and stalking towards a bed located in the corner of the yurt.

Still bristling, the boy climbed onto the bed and pulled the maroon curtains down, hiding him from view.

The man seems to take no notice of his son's behavior, the grin never leaving his face. "Oh, don't worry about the boy," the father waved his hand in a nonchalant manner when he saw the brunet line of view, "How rude of me. I have forgotten to introduce myself."

Dawn dragged his attention to the man.

"My name is Buren. Nice to meet you."

"Nice to meet you. I am Dawn."

The man roared in laughter, though for reasons unknown to the brunet. It soon died down to a soft chuckle before the man quietens down.

An odd smile quirked up the man's lips.

"You live around here?"

"No," Dawn folds his hands neatly in his lap. "I'm a traveller."

"I see," The man placed his hands on his knees before pulling himself up, his face tilted slightly away from the brunet.

"Take care of my son for the day, won't you? I'm going off to work."

* * *

"Wu Da Mu?"

Dawn blink at the large, transparent raincoat hanging off the child's hand.

"Come on, I thought you said that you wanted to watch the rain?"

The brunet chuckles, grinning while his hand reached out towards the raincoat.

"Thanks." Shrugging the raincoat on, his fingers work on the buttons that decorates and holds the raincoat together.

* * *

Dawn tips his head up as the rain continues falling, the water sliding over every corner of his face, highlighting the warm glow of his skin. The grass shines brightly, looking impossibly green. He could feel the freshness in the air, smell the earth as it soaks up the moisture and turns to a rich, dark brown.

A smile becomes a grin and a chuckle grows into a bright laughter.

Dawn turns to face the boy sitting quietly at his side, staring blankly ahead. The brunet reaches up to swipe away the sodden hair out of his face, his eyes bright and full of something akin to wonder.

"It's… beautiful." The brunet voice is close to a whisper before planting a hand on Wu Da Mu head.

The boy stiffened before relaxing minutely.

"… Dawn?"

The brunet tilts his head, a faint smile flicker on his face. "You are sad." It was phrased as a sentence rather than a question, making the child squirm slightly.

"No, I'm not," He fiddled with his fingers, a sudden interest in the droplets of water on his hands from the rain, "I have a place to stay, I have food to eat. I am more fortunate than the other kids that might not even be able to fill their belly in the grassland…"

"You're right," Wu Da Mu falters slightly at the brunet's answer, his gaze never straying from his hands.

Brown eyes studied the child carefully, his brown eyes deepened.

"If you look at the fact that you have a roof over your head, food to eat, that you are young and beautiful and live in a peaceful land, then no, you have nothing to be sad about. But the fact is, we are not only a physical body, we have souls too, and sometimes our souls get sick." The brunet's mouth twitched at the boy's action-whipping his head up so fast that it looked like it might break- and continues in a bland tone. "If you break a leg, you don't just say 'I have no reason to have a broken leg' and ignore it; you seek help. It's the same when your soul gets hurt."

Dawn gave him a fleeting side glance. "So, why are you sad?"

Dark brown eyes darted from a place to another, Dawn's face, his hands, the ground, the misty far land and back to Dawn's face, before heaving a sigh.

"I… just miss my mom you know." The boy puffs his cheeks, swiping away a drop of water that trails down his face, though it might just be the raindrops falling from the sky and dripping off his yellow coloured hood. "And dad just…he just doesn't _understand. _All he cares about is the food and booze! He didn't even cry when mum died! All he did was to keep badgering me to bring friends home! Heck, there are times when he doesn't come home at all! Does he even remember that he had a wife and still has a son?"

Wu Da Mu wraps his arms propped up by his knees around himself, fingers tightening around his arms, his knuckles slowly becoming white.

"Why…" His voice became small and the boy seems to shrink into himself.

Dawn hummed an assent, only replying after a long minute of silence, his eyes softened. "Wu Da Mu," the dark hair child turns to face him. "Wouldn't it be better if you had asked your father?"

The boy flinched, his lips thinned. "Why would that help anything? He doesn't even care! I even saw him flirting with a lady in the city just the other day!" Wu Da Mu panted slightly, cheeks flushed with anger. Wordlessly, the boy stood up and left, but not before the brunet saw the flash of betrayal in the boy's eyes.

The brunet sighed.

He blinks up at the sky, noticing the storm starting to lighten up. Perhaps he could stay here for just a little more before going back to the hotel he is staying at.


	10. Chapter 10

A/N: Er...yeah. Hopefully this chapter is okay, since I didn't really went through it...

I know it's rather short (Even shorter compared to the previous chapters) but well...I'm stuck in a rather painful period right now, so yeah.

Enjoy?

* * *

_He wasn't sure when it had started._

_It was all so long ago and almost everything was fuzzy in his memories._

_The boy faintly recalled that he had dreamt of the old man who was so kind to him falling down the stairs in his own house and had stopped moving after that._

_It was a horrible, horrible dream._

_When morning came, he rushed down his stairs (Carefully in case he ends up like the kind old man in his dream) and blabbered quickly about it to the woman with brown hair and brown eyes._

_But all she did was to laugh and chalk it up to his imagination. _

_Frowning, the boy trots back up his room quietly. Somehow, he has a feeling that the kind old man that always gave him sweets would have an ending like that and he didn't like it._

_Not one bit._

_So the boy did whatever he could do to prevent that._

_He reminded the old man that he should be careful when going up or down the stairs. He even went as far to holding the old man whenever he was around stairs._

_The boy remembers that old man smiling brightly at him while praising to his mother what a wonderful child he was._

_That he had taken away his loneliness from living alone._

_It went on for a month._

_Two months._

_The boy took away his loneliness, but could not take him away from his eventual demise._

_The old man died from a head injury after falling down the stairs in a shopping mall._

* * *

When Dawn took a deep breath in, he felt like he could almost taste the city itself.

His brown eyes flitted through the crowds while trying to take in the view of the ethnic minority town with strong Han contingent.

Bilingual signs hung high outside the shops and songs playing out from shops had Mongolian influence.

There are no theatre, opera house or bar running salsa classes. On the other hand, it does have many KTVs dotted about the town, just like how the grassland itself had white yurts and animals scattered around it.

"Dawn! What a coincidence! Meeting you here!"

The boy blinks before turning to face the source of the voice, nodding a wordless greeting as well. "Buren."

Only to stumble slightly when the man slapped him in the shoulder before releasing a hearty laughter.

"So what brings you to Hailaer District?"

"Well, I did book a room in a hotel located in this place." His eyebrow twitched slightly when the man grins widely. Slowly, he tilts his head; his gaze falls on the navy uniform the man was wearing.

"You work here?"

For a moment the man froze, everything became louder and the only sounds were the chatters that consist of Chinese and Mongolian language.

"Yeah," Buren nodded slightly as his entire being deflate slightly while his smile wans. "I work in the KTV right there," His hand rose and pointed at the black building one street away.

"I see. When do you get off work?"

A bewildered expression slipped on the man's face before his gaze softens and took on a grateful look.

"7pm!"

Dawn inclined his head.

"I see. Let's meet up for dinner then."

* * *

"Are you sure-"

"No worries, I'll be paying."

"But-"

Dawn sighed and held up a hand. "I'll pay."

He nodded at the staff that proceeds to show the two of them to their seat.

"Just order what you feel like eating, Buren. Don't hold back on me."

"Ah, but-"

"We'll get Wu Da Mu's food later."

Eventually, the man gave in and the two focuse on the menu placed on the table, flipping the pages quietly.

Several minutes later, the waiter came and took their order, leaving the two of them alone again, Dawn staring out at the window, watching the people pulling their coats tighter around themselves as the sky darkens and the temperature dips. For Buren, his gaze never left the young brunet.

The silence was somehow comforting and spoke for itself; it was peaceful in a way with the bustling noise in the background.

Soon, the time ticking away had begun to dissolve into itself, as shapeless as the rain starting to fall outside the restaurant.

"Buren," Dawn breaks the silence smoothly, his gaze never leaving the scene outside the window with raindrops sliding down silently, "How long has it been since you and Wu Da Mu has set down to talk to each other?"

One second passed. Two seconds passed. Three seconds passed.

Eyes still downcast, the man seems to age several years. "I-I don't know, Dawn. My work keeps me busy and by the time I got home, Wu Da Mu would be in bed. When I woke up, he would be outside somewhere and we would miss the chance to meet."

The painful regret would come to Buren in quiet moments, such as when he was going to sleep or stopped to take a lunch break. It would seep to the foreground of his mind and demand his attention. But he was tired of thinking about it; he had to get on with the here and now, make sure that his son is going to get a better life, a better future.

"You should, you know," Dawn murmured, his gaze never leaving the view outside, as if seeing something only he could see, "life is too short to leave words and feelings unsaid."

Both Buren and Dawn spent the rest of the dinner in thoughtful silence.

* * *

Dawn wants to be as nonchalant on the inside as he is on the outside.

He knows that he have perfected a mask of calm and competence, but on the inside, he knows that he is the same kid he was at six, fearful and sad and anxious and so many other painful emotions splattered in his mind like a colorful painting.

The brunet had always wanted to be one of those people with a rock at their center, someone able to stand alone and not be lonely- someone who attracts people because they are strong.

Strong and calm and steady, never wavering even in storms.

In a way he does, but it's just a charade, a tower of cards.

Should his foundation shakes, the whole thing will come down to reveal the abandoned child within- the child who still mourns for what could have been before his world fell apart and burnt into ash.

Before he had learnt that "forever" could be frighteningly short and "unconditional love" was subject to the whims of a person and that information is still carved into his memories, written in capitals and leaving scars.

So when he comes across families like Buren and Wu Da Mu, he couldn't help but get himself involved and try to help patch up their relationship.

Because it reminds him of what could have been if he was back with his blood related family and had someone there stitch back what was falling apart.

But then again, there were no 15 years old Sawada Tsunayoshi to be there.

Dawn sighed before flopping down on the hotel bed.

His worst enemy has always been his memories after all.

When will be able to learn to let go?


	11. Chapter 11

A/N: I'm...sorry...Just a warning...Might be triggers (Possible Death) in this chapter...Please be careful, okay?

Also, no grammatical/spelling checks were done. Cause the system isn't working. Damn.

Sorry about the short length of the chapter. Well...I have the entire story in my head...but I just can't type it out. No idea why...In the end, it became a summary of what I wanted in the story.

Whyyy.

* * *

"Hey."

Dawn huffed when he received no answer. He drops himself beside Wu Da Mu quietly, his gaze never straying from the boy.

"Still angry?"

No response, but Dawn could see the slight squirm and spark of grudge in the boy's eyes fixed on the far scenery.

Hand reaching out, he gently ruffle the boy's hair, earning an indignant squawk and protest.

Dawn laughed at the embarrassed scowl directed at him.

"Sorry, sorry. Forgive me, yeah?"

Grudgingly, the boy nodded hesitantly with a pout on his face but stubbornly remained silent.

The corner of his lips quirk up in amusement.

"So...how was your day?"

He laughs when Wu Da Mu wiggles his nose, half in irritation, and half in exasperation. Eventually, the boy decided to reply when Dawn poked him repeatedly in the arm.

"Fine, fine! Stop poking me!" Crossing his arm petulantly, he rolled his eyes when Dawn beamed at finally getting an answer out of him. "It was fine."

The brunet arched an eyebrown. "Really?" He tone took on a mocking lit. "Come on, I'm sure you can do better than a 'fine', Wu Da Mu."

"What?!" Wu Da Mu sticks his tongue out, "'Fine' is more than good enough! And besides, that is the truth!" Annoyed when he receive a shrug, he throws his hands in the air, clearly giving up on trying to convince the brunet otherwise.

Dawn shrugged again before turning away, the view of the grassland coupled with the setting sun was the last thing he saw before his vision blurred.

Wu Da Mu pursed his lips when he realized that the brunet remained quiet and felt his interest piped when he saw a pair of misty burning amber eyes staring afar.

"…Dawn?"

Wu Da Mu was relieved to see some of the dazed look leave only to jerk in surprise when the brunet turned his eyes on him. It felt like Dawn was staring into him, rather than _at_ him, before moving his gaze upwards, to the blue sky above.

"Wu Da Mu, do you know what is more painful than death?"

He didn't. But he didn't know what to say either. Not when Dawn sounded so soft and looked so sad.

So he settled for shaking his head.

Dawn closes his eyes, a small bitter smile tinged with a bit of sorrow appeared on his face.

"Regret. To know what you could have, _should have_ done, and yet we can never change it, no matter how desperate you are."

The boy blinked, unsure of what to do. Why did Dawn have to make the atmosphere between them awkward?

Then the spell broke when Dawn pulled his gaze away to the sky.

"That being said," Wu Da Mu remained still, his entire focus on Dawn, "Let's go visit Buren-San!"

He scowled at the grin and laughter spilling out of the brunet's mouth at his expression.

The boy never knew that Dawn was laughing at similarities between his and his father's scowl.

* * *

He was pissed.

Buren scowled at his watch. The long queue during lunch had shortened his lunch time to merely 15 mins. As if 30 mins wasn't short enough! And now, he risk running late to work.

The man grimaced at the onslaught of fear and memories of how the boss would threaten to fire him again. And the last time was just because he had to rush to the toilet due to stomach upset in the middle of work.

Buren sighed. Getting there in time was all that mattered now. Taking long strides towards the road, he looks both ways before taking his first step to cross the road. Never mind the traffic light is still red. He wasn't stopping for anything.

_Just a few more steps and another 5 minutes, I will reach the KTV._ Buren took a quick glance at his watch. He felt a surge of relief. _Thank goodness, I will be on time._

With his eyes stayed glued to the pavement on the other side, he never did see the truck coming from his left.

He didn't even have the time to scream.

* * *

He was fleetingly aware of the bloody taste in his mouth but he couldn't figure out what it was. At times his eyelids fluttered and he thought he must be at home in bed because it was so dark.

He is…warm but cold.

Why is it so quiet? There is no pain either?

What is going on? Damn. He needs to _move _or he will be late. Wait...Didn't something big hit him from his side?

He was crossing the road just a few minutes ago...Is it a car?

Is he going to die?

Such a way… He didn't think it would end this way.

No…He don't want to die…Wu Da Mu…Leaving his precious son alone. This can't be the truth.

If he isn't there, what will become of his son? Wu Da Mu…he is still a child. Still…Still…

He knows how hard it is…Leaving and being left behind…

_Did I love you enough, Wu Da Mu?_

_I'm sorry. All I wanted was to give you a better future._

The man dazedly glances up at the blurry figures.

_Somebody…please…protect him._

_My treasure…Somebody…Stay by his side…_

…_Dawn?_

His lips parted slightly, gaze dropped tiredly to the ground after locking gaze with burning orange eyes.

Tears leaked out of the corner of his eyes, sliding down his face and dripping onto the reddish ground.

_Please…as my substitute…protect my son… Let him be loved._

_Let him…oh…_

"Buren-san. Hold on, the ambulance is coming."

_Who…Dawn…?_

_Let him find happiness…or else…_

The man could feel the cold spreading, something closing over him as he sinks into the darkness.

_Life is too short to leave words and feelings unsaid._ Buren wanted to chuckle at the irony. Why was it that it was always too late to do anything?

_I guess…this is goodbye then?_

…_I wanted to love you much, much, more…_

* * *

Our dead are never dead to us, until we have forgotten them.-George Eliot


	12. Chapter 12

萧萧竹林风声起，不语告别惆怅离，执伞笑看万千世，唯独此景不愿欣

* * *

"_Mummy!"He whines while a woman with black hair and twinkling dark brown eyes tucked him in his bed, the lamp lighting up the room dimly at a corner. "You said that you will tell me a story tonight!"_

_She chuckles before settling herself comfortably at the corner of his bed, her hand reaching out towards underneath of the bed, pulling out a thin red book._

"_Alright, I promised."_

_He eagerly snuggled into his blankets, eyes wide with anticipation._

"_*A torn piece of paper," she begins in a soft voice, gently flipping the torn page to show a green crocodile "is just the beginning."_

_She smiles at her son who eyed the page curiously._

"_Every spill," she flips the page vertically glued on the page to reveal words, "has lots," She flips again, "and lots…"She smiled at the words on the page. _

"_Of possibilities!" The boy giggled at her tone, his mouth slowly stretched to yawn loudly._

_She smiled, closing the book gently and sliding it under the bed frame._

"_Good night, Wu Da Mu." She softly kisses his head and rose to turn off the lights._

"_Good night, mummy."_

* * *

The boy sat on peachy pink plastic chairs lined up in a row; his eyes never left the emergency room's door.

Dawn sat quietly beside him.

"I love him," he whispered.

Dawn nodded.

"I mean…I really love dad."

The boy broke down.

"And…I almost told him. But I…I couldn't say it. Especially how he acted after mom…died."

Tears falling freely down his cheeks, his hands fisted tightly on his lap.

Dawn gently pried open his hands. "Wu Da Mu, it does no good to be angry or carry grudges."

Teary dark eyes squeeze shut, tears falling faster and sliding off their hands.

"What's the point of it now?" He chokes, "It's too late."

Dawn paused, his hands tightening around small hands.

"It's never too late, Wu Da M-" His hands tighten further when Wu Da Mu tried to tug his away in anger.

"It's always too late!" He snarled before crumpling against the chair. "It's always too late…First it's mum and now it's dad!"

Dawn looked at him sadly.

"Nothing haunts us like the things we don't say."

Wu Da Mu sobbed, feeling like his world has crashed and burnt and the words the person in front of him had said was useless.

"Please…anything…I will do anything…Somebody…God…Please…Save my dad…Please."

* * *

_**"It once occurred to a certain king, that if he always knew the right time to begin everything; if he knew who were the right people to listen to, and whom to avoid; and, above all, if he always knew what was the most important thing to do, he would never fail in anything he might undertake."_

"_Mummy! I told you I'm old enough now," He frowns, "I don't need a bed time story!"_

_Chuckling, she reaches out to ruffle his hair, earning a scowl._

"_Silly you, my boy is never too old for a bed time story."_

"_M~um!"_

"_Ok, ok. Good night, Wu Da Mu."_

_He gave a petulant pout, mumbling 'night' before turning away from the door._

* * *

The double door opens slightly, a female in white coat walks out, her heels clicking on the floor.

Within a minute, Wu Da Mu and Dawn stood beside her, both anxious for Buren's condition.

Breaths were held and Wu Da Mu felt his legs all but gave way as his hands clung to Dawn's arm, heaving out a shaky breath as the woman place a hand on his shoulder before walking away, all too familiar with this scene.

Dawn kneeled down and pulled him into a hug that felt too warm for his cold body.

He curved an arm around Dawn, too tired to think and speak, the only thing in his mind was the doctor's words.

'_Mr Buren will be moved to intensive care unit for a few days to monitor his progress before we will move him to a normal ward. Don't worry.'_

His eyes were cast down. Lifting his face, the uncertainty of just a moment ago had almost vanished. Even the tears were nearly dry. Words spoken by Dawn earlier ran through him like an electric current.

"_Nothing haunts us like the things we don't say."_

His eyes narrowed.

* * *

_Slowly, he flipped the book opened._

_Sure, he had told his mum that he was too old to listen to her telling stories to coax him to sleep, but still. He was curious what had happened next after his mum had read to him the story and was interrupted by him._

_Dark brown eyes flickered to the paragraph that continues from where his mum has left off._

'_And this thought having occurred to him, he had it proclaimed throughout his kingdom that he would give a great reward to anyone who would teach him what was the right time for every action, and who were the most necessary people, and how he might know what was the most important thing to do. And learned men came to the King, but they all answered his questions differently.'_

_He made a noise of frustration at the back of his throat. Different answers? Then how is he going to know which is the correct one?! _

_Fidgeting in irritation, he reins in his temper the best he could and continue to read._

'_In reply to the first question, some said that to know the right time for every action, one must draw up in advance, a table of days, months and years, and must live strictly according to it. Only thus, said they, could everything be done at its proper time. Others declared that it was impossible to decide beforehand the right time for every action; but that, not letting oneself be absorbed in idle pastimes, one should always attend to all that was going on, and then do what was most needful. Others, again, said that however attentive the King might be to what was going on, it was impossible for one man to decide correctly the right time for every action, but that he should have a Council of wise men, who would help him to fix the proper time for everything. But then again others said there were some things which could not wait to be laid before a Council, but about which one had at once to decide whether to undertake them or not. But in order to decide that, one must know beforehand what was going to happen. It is only magicians who know that; and, therefore, in order to know the right time for every action, one must consult magicians.'_

_Wu Da Mu rolled his eyes. Can't these people just decide on one already? Seriously. Magicians? He may only be 10 but he knows that they don't exist! _

'_Equally various were the answers to the second question. Some said, the people the King most needed were his councillors; others, the priests; others, the doctors; while some said the warriors were the most necessary. To the third question, as to what was the most important occupation, some replied that the most important thing in the world was science. Others said it was skill in warfare; and others, again, that it was religious worship. All the answers being different, the King agreed with none of them, and gave the reward to none. But still wishing to find the right answers to his questions, he decided to consult a hermit, widely renowned for his wisdom.'_

_Wriggling his nose in exasperation, Wu Da Mu closed the book as gently as he could without throwing it across the room in frustration. If only the book could get to the point._

_Sure, he could just skip all the way to the end. But his mum has always told him that he would miss out on all the amazing stuffs in between._

_So, no. _

_Yawning, he unknots the brown ropes around the red curtains hanging at the side of his bed frame._

* * *

Dawn stares quietly at Wu Da Mu who was pacing outside the normal ward where Buren resides currently.

"What's wrong?"

The boy made a non-committal noise at the back of his throat.

"Nothing."

Pushing down the urge to sigh, he tilts his head to the side and closes his eyes in search for answers.

Seeing that, Wu Da Mu took a small step back. "W-What?"

"What are you afraid of?"

The boy breathes hard and his hands shake, eyes watering with guilt.

"I…" He took in a shuddering breath, "Will he…hate me? After what I've said? What I've done?"

Dawn ruffles his hair.

"You know, we always apologise to others, even our casual acquaintances. But those we are closest with, our partners, children, parents, we too often let things linger. Don't wait, Wu Da Mu."

The boy looks at Dawn half lidded eyes and whispered.

"Nothing haunts us like the things we don't say, right?"

Dawn beams.

* * *

_He yawns, rubbing his eye blearily with one hand, the other cracking the book open to continue where he had left._

'_The hermit lived in a wood which he never quitted and he received none but common folk. So the King put on simple clothes, and before reaching the hermit's cell dismounted from his horse, and, leaving his bodyguard behind, went on alone. _

_When the King approached, the hermit was digging the ground in front of his hut. Seeing the King, he greeted him and went on digging. The hermit was frail and weak, and each time he stuck his spade into the ground and turned a little earth, he breathed heavily. _

_The King went up to him and said: 'I have come to you, wise hermit, to ask you to answer three questions: How can I learn to do the right thing at the right time? Who are the people I most need, and to whom should I, therefore, pay more attention than to the rest? And, what affairs are the most important and need my first attention?' _

_The hermit listened to the King, but answered nothing. He just spat on his hand and recommenced digging. _

_'You are tired,' said the King, 'let me take the spade and work awhile for you.'_

_'Thanks!' said the hermit, and, giving the spade to the King, he sat down on the ground. _

_When he had dug two beds, the King stopped and repeated his questions. The hermit again gave no answer, but rose, stretched out his hand for the spade, and said: _

_'Now rest awhile - and let me work a bit.' _

_But the King did not give him the spade, and continued to dig. One hour passed, and another. The sun began to sink behind the trees, and the King at last stuck the spade into the ground, and said: _

_'I came to you, wise man, for an answer to my questions. If you can give me none, tell me so, and I will return home.''_

_As his eyes closes, he groggily noted his book was gently slipped out of his hands and a soft kiss was placed upon his head._

* * *

*Beautiful Oops! By Barney Saltzberg

**Three Questions by Lev Nikolayevich Tolstoy


	13. Chapter 13

**Hey guys...**

**It's been a while huh. **

**Autumn... Is no longer around.**

**I will pick up from where we left off. **

**Give me some time to slowly upload yeah. **

**Thanks for sticking around. **


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